Yankees Broadcaster Goes After Juan Soto For 'Tone Deaf' Complaints About Money

New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay is going after Juan Soto again, and this time, he has a good reason.

Kay went off on Soto after some recent comments that the $765 million New York Mets star made recently about his exclusion from the All-Star Game. In particular that the 26-year-old star was complaining about the "money on the table" he could have made from an All-Star bonus in his contract. 

For Kay, the fact that a player making roughly $47 million this season was complaining about not making enough is absurd and indefensible. And he's right.

READ: Mets Juan Soto, Making $765 Million, Complains About Not Getting All-Star Bonus

"Talk about being tone-deaf," Kay said this week on his radio show.

"Come on, Juan. The last I looked, you are making a smidge under $47 million this season. And you are upset that you aren’t making the All-Star Game because of an All-Star bonus you have in your contract? Do you know how bad that looks that you said that? Even if you thought it, fine. What kind of expenditures do you have?

NEW YORK - New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto hits a two run home run in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Citi Field on July 4, 2025. PHOTO: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

$765 Million Just Not Enough For Juan Soto 

He wasn't done there. He continued, saying that no matter the size of the bonus, it makes Soto look "bad" to act as though he needed the extra money.

"I don’t even know what the bonus is. Let’s say it’s $500,000, which is nothing to sneeze at. But you do make $47 million this year. To even speak that, do you realize how it makes you look? There are gonna be players that make $40 million a year that are going to roll their eyes. Why would you even speak that into existence? Do you know how bad it makes you look?"

When asked about being left off the team, Soto did say it's "part of baseball."

"I mean, it’s a part of baseball," Soto said. "There is a lot of players out there with great numbers that deserve to be there. It’s a roster with only 25 guys. They can’t take all of the guys into it. It happens."

It is and was absurd for Soto to complain about missing out on an extra bonus, given the remarkable salary he's making in 2025, and the guaranteed nature of Major League Baseball contracts. No matter what happens, no matter how poorly he ages, injuries he suffers, or games he doesn't play, Soto will make at least $765 million for the remainder of his career. 

He's also made an estimated $82.3 million in salary throughout his career prior to 2025. Not including off-the-field income he undoubtedly generates. If he reaches some contract incentives, it's possible he will reach close to $1 billion in career earnings. And you're upset about missing out on an All-Star Game bonus…once? 

It's not worth getting too upset with Soto; after all, that bonus money just stays with Mets owner Steve Cohen, it doesn't get given out to random fans at the stadium. Still though, have some perspective. It's not that hard.